Settler Attacks on Palestinians Surge in 2025, UN Data Shows

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented over 1,800 settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank during 2025, affecting approximately 280 communities. This marks the highest rate of such incidents since 2006, averaging about five attacks per day. These attacks resulted in the injury of 1,190 Palestinians, with 838, or 70%, directly attributed to Israeli settlers.

The figures indicate a consistent upward trend, with OCHA recording 1,828 attacks in 2025, compared to 1,420 in 2024 and 1,189 in 2023. The data, which includes injuries and property damage, is presented as a conservative measure, excluding incidents of intimidation or mere trespassing.

Independent verification of this violence comes from external governmental actions. In November 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the settler organization "Amana" and its subsidiary for their alleged involvement in violence in the West Bank. Similarly, the European Union imposed sanctions on individuals and entities in July 2024 for severe human rights violations against Palestinians.

Critics have claimed that the OCHA data is inflated by the UN and media. However, the report refutes this, explaining that OCHA's methodology classifies incidents based on the initiator, not the victim, and that the closure of investigation files by Israeli police is often due to a lack of evidence or enforcement circumstances, not false complaints. The report emphasizes that OCHA's database is a humanitarian tool for mapping harm and needs, not a criminal registry.

The article also notes that while Palestinian security threats in the West Bank are significant, evidenced by Shin Bet's prevention of over 1,000 major attacks in 2024, this context does not negate the documented violence perpetrated by settlers. The data on settler violence is presented as a distinct and concerning aspect of the situation in the West Bank.